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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Century splash
UCLA women’s water polo team goes back to back for school’s 99th and 100th
The NCAA News
Three hundred and sixty-four days after winning the institution’s 99th title, UCLA’s women’s water polo team captured No. 100 for its school, beating Stanford, 5-4, at the 2007 National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship.
The championship also was the third consecutive for the Bruins women’s water polo team, which compiled a 90-6 record over that period.
UCLA took the lead, 2-0, in the first quarter with goals from Courtney Mathewson and Jillian Kraus. The Bruins continued with the shutout into the waning minutes of the second quarter as Kraus scored again. Stanford’s Lauren Silver tallied a goal for the Cardinal with 1:30 to go in the half.
Mathewson made her second goal to make the score 4-1 Bruins, but both teams began scoring rapidly in the fourth quarter. Stanford answered the UCLA dominance quickly as Silver scored twice in the opening minutes. A UCLA timeout disrupted the Cardinal rhythm enough to allow Mathewson to make it a hat trick less than 20 seconds after the most recent Stanford goal, bringing the score to 5-3 UCLA.
The Cardinal’s Kira Hillman found the net just seconds later, but neither team made a shot in the last five minutes of play. As the final seconds ticked by, UCLA goaltender Emily Feher snatched a bad Stanford pass to seal the win for the Bruins.
Bruins Kelly Rulon (most outstanding player), Kacy Kunkel, Mathewson and Kraus were named to the all-tournament team, joined by Stanford’s Katie Hansen and Christina Hewko and Southern California’s Erika Figge.
UCLA head coach Adam Krikorian, who won his eighth NCAA national title, gave credit to Stanford for fighting its way back from the three-goal deficit with an explosive offensive attack.
“What a phenomenal game. It was great for us to get a good start and it was important for us to have the momentum early in order to win the game,” he said. “Right now it’s a bit surreal.”
The title was a symbolic one for UCLA, which launched a full celebration of its 100th championship after the victory. Opponent and fellow Pacific-10 Conference member Stanford is second on the NCAA’s all-time wins list with 93 championships. Another Pacific-10 institution, Southern California, is third with 88.
The Bruins are the first to reach 100 titles at a single institution, and officials plan to fete members of past championships throughout the next academic year. The centerpiece of the celebration will be a presentation at each home football and men’s basketball game after the institution reaches 100 championships, with representatives from five of the past championship teams honored at each game, either at halftime or before the game.
All of UCLA’s championships were won in the last 57 years, with the first title won by the 1950 men’s tennis team, buoyed by singles and doubles winner Herb Flam (with doubles partner Gene Garrett).
After the women’s water polo team won the 99th championship May 14, 2006, goaltender Feher said the excitement on campus was infectious, and everyone — not just student-athletes — was looking forward to hitting the century mark. But during their run to the 2007 championship, Feher said she and her teammates tried not to think about it too much, lest the quest become a distraction.
“Throughout the tournament, we’ve never mentioned anything about winning the 100th championship for our school. We didn’t allow that to distract us, and I think that was why we were so successful,” she said. “For us, it was just another number. And now that we can think about it, it’s pretty awesome.”
Seventh-place game
Pomona-Pitzer 2 1 3 1 — 7
Wagner 1 0 2 3 — 6
Pomona-Pitzer scoring: Sarah Sinclair 3, Laura Condon 2, Noelle Heise 1, Rachel Bellows 1.
Wagner scoring: Billy Hoelck 3, Nicole Maichrowicz 1, Camille Karimzad 1, Anne Wolkenhauer 1.
Saves: Pomona-Pitzer (Elena Pefier) 9, Wagner (Katie Hauck) 8.
Fifth-place game
Hartwick 3 2 5 3 — 13
Loyola Marymount 7 4 1 0 — 12
Hartwick scoring: Kirsten Hudson 2, Ellen Sevigny 2, Kaitlin Leonard 2, Marina Zablith 2, Christina Evans 1, Keri James 1, Megan Dahl-Smith 1, Kim Sumich 1, Barbara Amaro 1.
Loyola Marymount scoring: Dora Szabolcsi 4, Nicole Hughes 3, Cara Colton 2, Stacia Peterson 2, Sarah Hamilton 1.
Saves: Hartwick (Olivia Colebourne) 5, LMU (Kaylee Caster), 12.
Semifinals
Stanford 4 5 2 2 — 13
San Diego St. 0 2 0 2 — 4
Stanford scoring: Katie Hansen 3, Kelly Eaton 2, Jessica Steffens 2, Kelsey Holshouser 1, Kira Hillman 1, Kelly Donahue 1, Heather West 1, Christina Hewko 1, Lauren Silver 1.
San Diego St. scoring: Stacy Werner 2, Ronni Gautschi 2.
Saves: Stanford (Meridith McColl and Kate Heddleston) 7, San Diego St. (Sarah Kilgore and Heather Fenske) 8.
UCLA 2 1 2 2 — 7
Southern California 3 1 1 1 — 6
UCLA scoring: Courtney Mathewson 2, Kacy Kunkel 2, Jillian Kraus 1, Kelly Rulon 1, Gabrielle Domanic 1.
Southern California scoring: Patty Cardenas 3, Kami Craig 1, Erika Figge 1, Veronika Bartunkova 1.
Saves: UCLA (Feher) 6, Southern California (Whitney Morgan) 8.
Third-place game
Southern California 3 2 3 5 — 13
San Diego St. 0 3 1 2 — 6
Southern California scoring: Kami Craig 3, Patty Carenas 2, Erika Figge 2, Veronika Bartunkova 1, Brittany Hayes 1, Michelle Stein 1, Alison Riddle 1, Julie Spataru 1, Jana Wenger 1.
San Diego St. scoring: Anna Gonzales 2, Stacy Werner 1, Erinn Greenwood 1, Jenna Schuster 1, Becca Ur 1.
Saves: Southern California (Tumua Anae) 10, San Diego St. (Erin Kilgore) 12.
Championship game
UCLA 2 1 1 1 — 5
Stanford 0 1 0 3 — 4
UCLA scoring: Courtney Mathewson 3, Jillian Kraus 2.
Stanford scoring: Lauren Silver 3, Kira Hillman 1.
Saves: UCLA (Emily Feher) 9, Stanford (Meridith McColl) 5.
UCLA women’s water polo team goes back to back for school’s 99th and 100th
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The NCAA News
Three hundred and sixty-four days after winning the institution’s 99th title, UCLA’s women’s water polo team captured No. 100 for its school, beating Stanford, 5-4, at the 2007 National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship.The championship also was the third consecutive for the Bruins women’s water polo team, which compiled a 90-6 record over that period.
UCLA took the lead, 2-0, in the first quarter with goals from Courtney Mathewson and Jillian Kraus. The Bruins continued with the shutout into the waning minutes of the second quarter as Kraus scored again. Stanford’s Lauren Silver tallied a goal for the Cardinal with 1:30 to go in the half.
Mathewson made her second goal to make the score 4-1 Bruins, but both teams began scoring rapidly in the fourth quarter. Stanford answered the UCLA dominance quickly as Silver scored twice in the opening minutes. A UCLA timeout disrupted the Cardinal rhythm enough to allow Mathewson to make it a hat trick less than 20 seconds after the most recent Stanford goal, bringing the score to 5-3 UCLA.
The Cardinal’s Kira Hillman found the net just seconds later, but neither team made a shot in the last five minutes of play. As the final seconds ticked by, UCLA goaltender Emily Feher snatched a bad Stanford pass to seal the win for the Bruins.
Bruins Kelly Rulon (most outstanding player), Kacy Kunkel, Mathewson and Kraus were named to the all-tournament team, joined by Stanford’s Katie Hansen and Christina Hewko and Southern California’s Erika Figge.
UCLA head coach Adam Krikorian, who won his eighth NCAA national title, gave credit to Stanford for fighting its way back from the three-goal deficit with an explosive offensive attack.
“What a phenomenal game. It was great for us to get a good start and it was important for us to have the momentum early in order to win the game,” he said. “Right now it’s a bit surreal.”
The title was a symbolic one for UCLA, which launched a full celebration of its 100th championship after the victory. Opponent and fellow Pacific-10 Conference member Stanford is second on the NCAA’s all-time wins list with 93 championships. Another Pacific-10 institution, Southern California, is third with 88.
The Bruins are the first to reach 100 titles at a single institution, and officials plan to fete members of past championships throughout the next academic year. The centerpiece of the celebration will be a presentation at each home football and men’s basketball game after the institution reaches 100 championships, with representatives from five of the past championship teams honored at each game, either at halftime or before the game.
All of UCLA’s championships were won in the last 57 years, with the first title won by the 1950 men’s tennis team, buoyed by singles and doubles winner Herb Flam (with doubles partner Gene Garrett).
After the women’s water polo team won the 99th championship May 14, 2006, goaltender Feher said the excitement on campus was infectious, and everyone — not just student-athletes — was looking forward to hitting the century mark. But during their run to the 2007 championship, Feher said she and her teammates tried not to think about it too much, lest the quest become a distraction.
“Throughout the tournament, we’ve never mentioned anything about winning the 100th championship for our school. We didn’t allow that to distract us, and I think that was why we were so successful,” she said. “For us, it was just another number. And now that we can think about it, it’s pretty awesome.”
Seventh-place game
Pomona-Pitzer 2 1 3 1 — 7
Wagner 1 0 2 3 — 6
Pomona-Pitzer scoring: Sarah Sinclair 3, Laura Condon 2, Noelle Heise 1, Rachel Bellows 1.
Wagner scoring: Billy Hoelck 3, Nicole Maichrowicz 1, Camille Karimzad 1, Anne Wolkenhauer 1.
Saves: Pomona-Pitzer (Elena Pefier) 9, Wagner (Katie Hauck) 8.
Fifth-place game
Hartwick 3 2 5 3 — 13
Loyola Marymount 7 4 1 0 — 12
Hartwick scoring: Kirsten Hudson 2, Ellen Sevigny 2, Kaitlin Leonard 2, Marina Zablith 2, Christina Evans 1, Keri James 1, Megan Dahl-Smith 1, Kim Sumich 1, Barbara Amaro 1.
Loyola Marymount scoring: Dora Szabolcsi 4, Nicole Hughes 3, Cara Colton 2, Stacia Peterson 2, Sarah Hamilton 1.
Saves: Hartwick (Olivia Colebourne) 5, LMU (Kaylee Caster), 12.
Semifinals
Stanford 4 5 2 2 — 13
San Diego St. 0 2 0 2 — 4
Stanford scoring: Katie Hansen 3, Kelly Eaton 2, Jessica Steffens 2, Kelsey Holshouser 1, Kira Hillman 1, Kelly Donahue 1, Heather West 1, Christina Hewko 1, Lauren Silver 1.
San Diego St. scoring: Stacy Werner 2, Ronni Gautschi 2.
Saves: Stanford (Meridith McColl and Kate Heddleston) 7, San Diego St. (Sarah Kilgore and Heather Fenske) 8.
UCLA 2 1 2 2 — 7
Southern California 3 1 1 1 — 6
UCLA scoring: Courtney Mathewson 2, Kacy Kunkel 2, Jillian Kraus 1, Kelly Rulon 1, Gabrielle Domanic 1.
Southern California scoring: Patty Cardenas 3, Kami Craig 1, Erika Figge 1, Veronika Bartunkova 1.
Saves: UCLA (Feher) 6, Southern California (Whitney Morgan) 8.
Third-place game
Southern California 3 2 3 5 — 13
San Diego St. 0 3 1 2 — 6
Southern California scoring: Kami Craig 3, Patty Carenas 2, Erika Figge 2, Veronika Bartunkova 1, Brittany Hayes 1, Michelle Stein 1, Alison Riddle 1, Julie Spataru 1, Jana Wenger 1.
San Diego St. scoring: Anna Gonzales 2, Stacy Werner 1, Erinn Greenwood 1, Jenna Schuster 1, Becca Ur 1.
Saves: Southern California (Tumua Anae) 10, San Diego St. (Erin Kilgore) 12.
Championship game
UCLA 2 1 1 1 — 5
Stanford 0 1 0 3 — 4
UCLA scoring: Courtney Mathewson 3, Jillian Kraus 2.
Stanford scoring: Lauren Silver 3, Kira Hillman 1.
Saves: UCLA (Emily Feher) 9, Stanford (Meridith McColl) 5.
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